Mapping messages to connection servers between network management system and managed datacenters

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a method for a load balancer executing in a public cloud to load balance requests to datacenters from a network management system implemented in the public cloud. The method receives a message from a network management service for a local network manager at a particular datacenter of multiple datacenters managed by the network management system. The method maps a datacenter identifier for the particular datacenter included in the request to a particular connection server that handles a persistent connection between the local network manager at the particular datacenter and the network management system. Persistent connections between the datacenters and the network management system are handled by multiple different connection servers. The method sends the message to the particular connection server for the particular connection server to transmit the message to the local network manager via the persistent connection.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for load balancing requests to datacenters from a network management system implemented in a public cloud:
 at a load balancer executing in the public cloud:
 receiving a message from a network management service for a local network manager at a particular datacenter of a plurality of datacenters managed by the network management system; 
 mapping a datacenter identifier for the particular datacenter included in the request to a particular connection server that handles a persistent connection between the local network manager at the particular datacenter and the network management system, wherein persistent connections between the plurality of datacenters and the network management system are handled by a plurality of different connection servers; and 
 sending the message to the particular connection server for the particular connection server to transmit the message to the local network manager via the persistent connection. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the network management system is implemented in a container cluster in the public cloud; and   the plurality of connection servers are also in the container cluster.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the load balancer is also in the container cluster in the public cloud. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network management service is a service of the network management system that manages a group of datacenters including the particular datacenter. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the network management system includes a plurality of network management services, each respective network management service managing a respective group of datacenters for a respective tenant. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the message is an application programming interface (API) request to be executed at the local network manager, the method further comprising:
 from the local network manager, receiving a response to the request that also includes the datacenter identifier; and   sending the response to the particular connection server for the particular connection server to transmit the response to the network management service.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving a data stream from the local network manager via the persistent connection; 
 mapping the particular datacenter identifier in the data stream to the particular connection server; and 
 sending the data stream to the particular connection server for the particular connection server to provide the data stream to a particular network management service of the network management system. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein mapping the datacenter identifier to the particular connection server comprises using a static load balancing configuration specified prior to initiation of the persistent connection. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the persistent connection is initiated by a connection agent at the local network manager because the local network manager does not have a publicly routable network address and therefore the network management system cannot initiate a connection to the local network manager. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the connection is an http/2 connection that allows for the server to push requests onto the connection. 
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing a load balancer which when executed by at least one processing unit load balances requests to datacenters from a network management system implemented in a public cloud, the load balancer executing in the public cloud and comprising sets of instructions for:
 receiving a message from a network management service for a local network manager at a particular datacenter of a plurality of datacenters managed by the network management system;   mapping a datacenter identifier for the particular datacenter included in the request to a particular connection server that handles a persistent connection between the local network manager at the particular datacenter and the network management system, wherein persistent connections between the plurality of datacenters and the network management system are handled by a plurality of different connection servers; and   sending the message to the particular connection server for the particular connection server to transmit the message to the local network manager via the persistent connection.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the network management system is implemented in a container cluster in the public cloud; and   the plurality of connection servers are also in the container cluster.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the load balancer is also in the container cluster in the public cloud. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the network management service is a service of the network management system that manages a group of datacenters including the particular datacenter. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the network management system includes a plurality of network management services, each respective network management service managing a respective group of datacenters for a respective tenant. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the message is an application programming interface (API) request to be executed at the local network manager, the load balancer further comprising sets of instructions for:
 from the local network manager, receiving a response to the request that also includes the datacenter identifier; and   sending the response to the particular connection server for the particular connection server to transmit the response to the network management service.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the load balancer further comprises sets of instructions for:
 receiving a data stream from the local network manager via the persistent connection;   mapping the particular datacenter identifier in the data stream to the particular connection server; and   sending the data stream to the particular connection server for the particular connection server to provide the data stream to a particular network management service of the network management system.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the set of instructions for mapping the datacenter identifier to the particular connection server comprises a set of instructions for using a static load balancing configuration specified prior to initiation of the persistent connection. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the persistent connection is initiated by a connection agent at the local network manager because the local network manager does not have a publicly routable network address and therefore the network management system cannot initiate a connection to the local network manager. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the connection is an http/2 connection that allows for the server to push requests onto the connection.